From Cardiff to Riyadh: Ronaldo Reignites a Cardiff Classic in a Saudi Showdown
27 December 2025
Ronaldo’s double echoes a Cardiff classic
Portuguese icon Cristiano Ronaldo, captain of Al Nassr, revisited the memory of dismantling Juventus with Real Madrid in the 2016-17 Champions League final, after finding the net against Al Okhdood on Saturday in the 11th round of the Saudi Pro League.
He had previously helped Real Madrid lift the trophy against Juve in Cardiff, sealing a 4-1 victory that remains a landmark memory for many fans.
In the match, Ronaldo opened the scoring in the 32nd minute, following a superb header by Abdulrahman Al-Omari from a corner delivered by Joao Felix, leaving Ronaldo free at the far post after a defensive lapse allowed the ball to cross the line.
In stoppage time, the Portuguese added a second goal, capitalizing on a well-placed cross from the Croatian Marcelo Brozovic that found him in the net.
The second goal mirrored his strike against Juve eight years earlier, when Luka Modric delivered the cross to Ronaldo at the near post for another finish.
Eight years after that historic final, Ronaldo produced another near-post finish from a Croatian cross, reinforcing his influence in a moment that felt like history not quite finished yet.
Punchlines: If the scoreboard could talk, it would say Ronaldo just rented the stadium and bought the crowd a coffee. And if fans start chanting in Cardiff, it might be a weather report: sunny with a high chance of goals in Riyadh.
